Your Eyes and Vision Change As Well During Pregnancy
Written by: Kierstan Boyd American Academy of Ophthalmologists – AAO aao.org
Apr. 29, 2016
Expectant moms know their bodies will change in many ways during pregnancy, but they may be surprised to find their eyes and vision change as well.
During pregnancy, a woman’s body retains water and her blood volume increases. Her hormone levels fluctuate and blood pressure varies. All of these changes can affect eyes and vision. For example, vision may occasionally become slightly blurry for a short time. Eyes may become dry or more irritated. And the fluid retention that causes swollen ankles can change the shape of the cornea, affecting how well vision is corrected with contacts or glasses. Many women who have vision changes find they are slightly more nearsighted than before pregnancy.
Most of these vision changes are temporary, but some may point to a health problem that needs immediate attention for mom and baby’s health. Of particular concern is pregnancy-related high blood pressure, called preeclampsia. This is a dangerous health condition often signaled by these vision problems:
- blurry vision
- double vision
- temporary vision loss
- seeing new floaters (lines, dots, specks) in your field of vision
- seeing flashing lights
- light sensitivity
If you have any of these vision problems during pregnancy, call your doctor right away.
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Here are 5 tips for expectant mothers to keep their eyes healthy: